THE WORLD’S BEST TRAIN TRIPS

CONTRIBUTORS

Duncan Craig

SPICE OF LIFE

GATEWAY TO THE CANALS AND LAGOONS OF THE KERALA BACKWATERS AND TO THE ARABIAN SEA, KOCHI WAS FOR CENTURIES A MAJOR HUB FOR THE SPICE TRADE. THIS LEGACY HAS LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON ITS IDENTITY AND CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE MULTILAYERED CITY TODAY

HONG KONG

It may be best known for its skyscrapers and shopping, but Hong Kong offers untold outdoor activities, from coastal kayaking and mountain hikes to quiet bike rides and unusual food tours

GLASGOW

From live music venues to offbeat museums, Scotland’s second city has a rich cultural life — all served with a sense of humour and a whisky chaser

Secret lives & sacred mountains

| PAID CONTENT FOR IBARAKI PREFECTURE

Editor’s letter

ISSUE 130, MARCH 2025

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2025

The National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition is

SNAPSHOT

Margret Chola, Zambia

BIG PICTURE

Maramureș, Romania

Tours & trails

DISCOVER FRESH AVENUES OF EXPLORATION THIS SPRING, FROM INDIAN RIVER CRUISES TO CYCLING TOURS THROUGH THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE

BRADFORD CALLING

The West Yorkshire city has taken on the mantle of UK City of Culture this year, with a programme of creative events

Walk on water

A NEW HIKE IN THE WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS WILL OFFER A FRESH WAY TO DISCOVER THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

A TASTE OF A MORGOS

On this Greek island, food is a way of preserving local culture and communities

Lighthouse solitude

PLAY CASTAWAY ON AN ITALIAN ISLAND, WHERE YOU CAN SPOT WHALES FROM A STYLISH TUSCAN RETREAT SET IN A WORKING LIGHTHOUSE

IBIZA TOWN

See another side of the Balearic Islands with a trip to Ibiza’s whitewashed capital, where winding streets lead to remnants of empires past

Florida’s great outdoors

AMERICA’S SUNSHINE STATE IS A NATURAL PLAYGROUND, WITH WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES AND CONSERVATION-LED ATTRACTIONS AIMED AT FAMILIES

WELSH MARCHES

STRADDLING THE BORDER BETWEEN ENGLAND AND WALES, THIS LAND OF FORGOTTEN VALLEYS, ANCIENT PATHS AND MEDIEVAL TOWNS IS RICH IN LEGEND AND FOLKLORE

Passion project

AS THE PROMISE OF SPRING BRINGS RENEWED VIGOUR, WE TURN TO STORIES OF LIFELONG OBSESSIONS AND POWERFUL LABOURS OF LOVE

RUNNING

Whether you want to exercise on your next getaway or explore the wilderness closer to home, these items are practical, versatile and easy to pack

Joe Boyd

A GLIMPSE OF AN ALBANIAN FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, CAUGHT ILLICITLY ON FILM, TRANSPORTS THE MUSIC PRODUCER INTO A LIFE LED BY ANCIENT RHYTHMS

A FOUR-NIGHT SKI TRIP TO THE DOLOMITES

The 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski resort is offering one reader and a guest a great winter break that includes a ski lesson and ski gear rental

Saru Mundurucu

TO PASS ON HIS LOVE OF THE FOREST, THE GUIDE CREATED THE FIRST TOUR COMPANY IN BRAZIL FOUNDED BY AN INDIGENOUS AMAZONIAN

TOP FOOD DESTINATIONS TO DISCOVER IN 2025

Whether it’s the island named European Region of Gastronomy or the UK county introducing new food trails, here’s where to take a culinary trip.

TO P STORIES

Here’s what you’ve been enjoying on the website this month

THE MOST CHALLENGING HIKING TR AILS IN EUROPE

FROM A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN SLOVENIA TO A TWO-WEEK SCOTTISH TREK, THESE HIKES ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. WORDS: SEAN NEWSOM

BEYOND THE TRAVEL SECTION

|ANIMALS| A century ago, a discovery changed how

ESSAOUIRA

Centuries of cultural exchange have made this Moroccan city a haven for lovers of food, music and design. Let its winds blow you coastward, where a deep-rooted arts scene gives way to legendary surf

COGNAC

The cuisine of France’s Charentais region is getting a shake-up, with gin production taking over ancient Cognac houses, and the brandy itself used in creative cocktails and jammy balsamic vinegar

SALZBURG

The most Austrian of cities, Salzburg is an instant heart-stealer. It’s backdropped by the Mönchsberg, a mount rising like a gentle giant above the old town’s alleys and abbeys, plazas and palaces. Topping it is a 900-year-old fortress straight out of a kids’ story, while the mountains on the horizon remind you that the Alps are but a yodel away. The hotel scene mirrors the city itself: petite, characterful and surprisingly varied, skipping from revamped medieval inns to affordable palace stays. If you’re visiting, book now: in 2025, Salzburg will celebrate 60 years of The Sound of Music with performances, exhibitions and tours of filming locations.

KANDY TO ELLA LINE, SRI LANKA

05 eyewitness

MARK SMITH

Founder of rail travel resource The Man in Seat Sixty-One

HEART OF WALES LINE, UK

11 eyewitness

HIRAM BINGHAM, PERU

16 eyewitness

HOW TO PLAN A RAIL ADVENTURE

The US has the world’s largest railway network, with over 155,000 miles of tracks crisscrossing the country; China comes in second with 96,000 miles

BREAKING THE ICE

LIFE ALONG THE WEST COAST OF GREENLAND, HIGH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, CONTINUES MUCH AS IT HAS FOR CENTURIES, WITH THE NATURAL WORLD AND A RESPECT FOR HERITAGE SETTING THE RHYTHM DURING THE LONG, FROZEN WINTERS

HEAVEN & EARTH

IN PORTUGAL’S WILD NORTHERN BORDERLANDS, SURVIVAL AND SPIRITUALITY GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE CHANGING SEASONS, AS THEY HAVE FOR MILLENNIA. A ROAD TRIP THROUGH ITS REMOTE REACHES UNCOVERS PAGAN FESTIVALS, AGE-OLD CRAFTS AND ROMAN RELICS IN THE COUNTRY’S ONLY NATIONAL PARK, PENEDA-GERÊS

Southern Mexico

EXPLORE THE RICH CULTURE OF MEXICO’S SOUTHERNMOST S TATE S , OA X ACA AND CHIAPAS — FROM HISTORIC RUINS AND COLOURFUL CITIES TO DIVERSE LANDSCAPES AND DISTINCTIVE FOOD.

Maria Luisa, chef at Empanadas del Carmen Alto, Oaxaca City

WHY IS STREET FOOD SIGNIFICANT IN OAXACAN CULTURE?

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

A short stretch of Oaxaca’s scenic Pacific coast makes an easy day trip from Puerto Escondido — plan on plenty of pit stops, whether you’re exploring via two wheels or four

Discover Canada’s wild side

Explore Alberta’s alpine lakes, Rocky Mountain crags and picturesque towns perched amid the peaks

ASK THE EXPERTS

NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS…

PET-FRIENDLY TRAVEL

More people are travelling with their animals than ever —from how to fly with your dog to the latest pet-focused services, here’s what you need to know

The London Eye

TO CELEBRATE THE QUARTER-CENTURY OF THE CAPITAL’S OBSERVATION WHEEL THIS MARCH, WE SPIN THROUGH SOME OF ITS STANDOUT FACTS

THE STATE OF ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL

FOR DISABLED PEOPLE, TRAVEL CAN PRESENT MANY CHALLENGES, SUCH AS LOST WHEELCHAIRS AND POORLY TRAINED STAFF — BUT A NEW GOVERNMENT TASK FORCE OFFERS HOPE. WORDS: BEN CLATWORTHY

Lombardy’s hidden wine routes

Discover the region of Lombardy, where scenic countryside trails lead to family-run wineries, medieval valleys and sparkling lakes

INBOX

DID YOU LOVE ONE OF OUR FEATURES? DID A STORY INSPIRE AN ADVENTURE? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE MAGAZINE AND THE STAR LETTER WILL WIN THE INCREDIBLE PRIZE BELOW.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

JONATHAN GREGSON EXPLAINS HOW HE SECURED A CLOSE-UP IM AGE OF AN AFRICAN ELEPHANT FOR OUR JAN/FEB 2025 ISSUE

OBLU

3HB HOTELS

WWW.3HB.COM

EXPLORE EDMONTON

ARUNDELLS

JUMEIRAH

jumeirah.com

TRAVEL CARPATHIA

TRAVELCARPATHIA.COM

romanbaths

www.romanbaths.co.uk

ZADAR REGION

www.zadar.hr

HORTENCOLLECTION

www.hortencollection.com

TRAVELLER

SOHO

WWW.SAVOY-SHARM.COM

Smooth Red

www.smoothred.com

Nicho China

MUSEUM ART OF THE LOST GENERATION

LEDUNE

Turtle

HOTEL KLAUSTUR

SALZBVRGER FESTSPIELE

salzburgfestival.at

nalgene

www.nalgene.eu

YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE

MOZART

mozarteum.at

VLORAMARINA

www.vloramarina.com

ABTA

Motorhome Republic

ENGEL & VÖLKERS

www.engelvoelkers.com/pt/en

PERURAIL

perurail.com

RIVERSIDE

Sublime WILDERNESS ODYSSEY

sublimewildernessodyssey.com

Saily

saily.com .

EXODUS

SCHWARZENSTEIN

www.schwarzenstein.com

Rawarctic

www.rawarctic.com

visitsweden

visitsweden.com

WERNIGERODE

www.wernigerode-tourismus.de

EMPORIA

SERMEQ

helicopter.gl

HURTIGRUTEN EXPEDITIONS

travelhx.com/uk

oneacrewood

www.oneacrewood.co.uk

Nuuk Water Taxi

www.nuukwatertaxi.gl

QUINTAS

QUINTASFARMHOUSES.COM

manavamoorearesort

www.manavamoorearesort.com

Plesir

pousadela

www.pousadela.pt/en

kalypso-residence

www.kalypso-residence.com

NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC

NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC

varietycruises

varietycruises.co.uk

NATGEOTRAVELLER

FOODFESTIVAL.NATGEOTRAVELLER.CO.UK

sicily4u

www.sicily4u.co.uk

KEMIJARVI

BUSHTRACKS